024
epilogue

Daehyun growled to himself, looking at the plate of already-burnt pancakes on the kitchen counter. How could it be so hard to make pancakes? He had gone days without sleeping, completed recordings for entire albums in less than three hours, and held world tours annually – but he couldn’t make even one perfect pancake.

This was the saddest thing he’d ever done.

As soon as he poured the batter for another pancake, Daehyun heard footsteps padding out of the bedroom and muffled a groan. He’d woken up an hour earlier than his boyfriend, just so he could give him breakfast in bed for his birthday, but clearly he was taking too long. He fumed silently, wondering why he even bothered to leave his cute boyfriend in bed if he failed anyway.

“Daehyunnie,” Youngjae murmured from the entrance of the kitchen, blinking at the sight of Daehyun in his apron. The alpha was frowning, but as soon as his eyes landed on the omega, he couldn’t help but smile and he moved forward to gather him up in his arms.

“Happy birthday, Jae!” he said cheerfully, kissing all over his face. Youngjae tried to hide his giggles, amused by his boyfriend’s antics, and looked over to the stove.

“Did you burn something?”

Daehyun hoped that Youngjae would forget about it, and tried to distract him. “I thought you’d be asleep,” he said, frowning.

“I don’t want you to burn down my kitchen,” the omega replied, shuffling over to the stove. Daehyun’s arms were still stubbornly wrapped around him, but he didn’t mind. He welcomed the warmth – it was the middle of winter, and the mornings still had a chill. Youngjae often woke up with Daehyun clinging to him, snuggled beneath layers of quilts, but not that morning.

It was the lack of warmth that would have woken him up, if not for Daehyun managing to knee him in the stomach in his haste to go to the kitchen. The only reason Youngjae didn’t follow the alpha earlier, or snap for him to come back to bed was because he was curious about what Daehyun had planned. He was pleased – he had no doubt before that Daehyun was selfless, but giving up sleep to make pancakes? That seemed too good to be true, especially after a grueling two weeks of promoting his newest album. For the days after promotions for DAENGER ended, Daehyun had hardly left his apartment, too exhausted to move.

Youngjae looked at the batter that was currently burning in the pan, and then at the stack of failed achievements, before reaching to turn down the heat.

“Oh,” Daehyun said dumbly, and Youngjae emptied the pan again, before pouring in new batter. He pressed a kiss on Daehyun’s cheek afterwards, feeling affectionate, and was immediately shocked by the alpha holding his waist and lifting him up onto the counter.

He lifted an eyebrow, confused, but Daehyun maneuvered in between his legs and leaned forward without a word, nuzzling into his neck. Light kisses were pressed on his skin, and he relaxed, signing blissfully as his hand curled into the material of Daehyun’s shirt.

The alpha loved the heat that spread over Youngjae’s cheeks when he reached up to cup his face, the wide brown eyes he adored fluttering shut when their lips were centimeters apart.

“I love you,” he murmured quietly. Youngjae didn’t need reminding, but Daehyun didn’t think he could ever tire of how the words felt, settling in the air between them. He didn’t think he could tire of the way Youngjae’s lips curved into a smile, once he heard them, or how his face softened before he repeated the words back, his tone gentle and honest. His eyes were flickering to Daehyun’s lips.

Daehyun tilted his head so he could slot their mouths together, unable to stop himself from smiling when he felt Youngjae sigh blissfully into the kiss. He felt the omega reach up to cup the back of his neck, deepening the kiss.

Once they were out of breath, Daehyun turned around to check on the pancake. He silently hoped it would be okay as he flipped it, and was surprised that it didn’t break apart.

“Just make two for each of us; we have to see everyone in an hour,” Youngjae glanced at the clock and hopped off the counter. “I’m going to change.” He was about to leave the kitchen, but reached out land a hit on the alpha’s behind before he left, cackling when Daehyun spun around immediately and tried to grab him.

“Love you, Daehyunnie!” he called, halfway across the apartment, running his way to his bedroom. “Don’t burn down my kitchen!”

Daehyun couldn’t stop a grin from spreading on his face.

An hour later, Youngjae and Daehyun were parking outside the Moon Estate, trying to hurry and take their bags. They were running late, and judging by the cars already outside, they were also the last ones to arrive.

“Youngjae-hyung!”

Both Daehyun and Youngjae looked towards the mansion, hearing a shout. Junhong was already sprinting towards them, followed by Jongup. Yongguk and Himchan were walking behind them, a lot calmer, but wide smiles were on their faces.

“Happy birthday!” Junhong said cheerily, holding out a neatly-wrapped gift. Jongup held out one as well, although it was a little messier. He looked sheepish, but it was obvious he had tried.

Youngjae passed the bags off to Daehyun before tugging both of the boys into a hug. Junhong eagerly squeezed him back, whilst Jongup was more hesitant, but both of them looked happy.

“Thank you,” Youngjae said finally, holding onto the two gifts. Jongup didn’t seem like one for skinship, letting go of him immediately, but Junhong clung onto him for a bit longer before stepping back.

A grin wouldn’t leave Junhong’s face. When he turned around, seeing that Yongguk was approaching, he grew even happier, bouncing excitedly on his toes. Youngjae could tell the alpha was relaxing at the sight of Junhong looking so happy, and Yongguk immediately curled his arm around his omega’s waist when he was within reach.

“Happy birthday,” the alpha greeted Youngjae casually. Instead of giving him a box like the others, he produced an envelope, and have it to him. Youngjae glanced at it curiously, but looked up.

“Thank you for coming, Yongguk-ssi,” he said warmly, trying not to think about how weird the entire situation was. His boss was in a sleeveless shirt, and cuddling his boyfriend in front of him. Youngjae didn’t even know he had tattoos before today, but apparently his boss was a pretty cool guy.

That was really weird to think about, though.

“Hyung is fine,” the elder assured him.

“Yongguk-hyung,” Youngjae corrected, and Yongguk smiled wide. Youngjae could tell Daehyun was scowling from behind him, and resisted the urge to elbow him in the face.

Daehyun still didn’t forgive Yongguk for everything he had done to Jongup, but he didn’t argue when Youngjae invited him to his birthday; after all, Daehyun was fond of Junhong, and knew logically that Junhong would feel left out if Yongguk wasn’t invited. Besides, Daehyun wasn’t possessive enough to control who Youngjae could see – if he was, Youngjae wouldn’t be dating him. Simple as that.

Youngjae made a mental note not to leave the alphas alone with each other. Even Jongup was still awkward with Yongguk after two weeks of Junhong trying to diffuse the tension between them.

“Happy birthday, bro,” Himchan had a much smaller present in his hand, which he passed to Youngjae when he came close enough. Youngjae blinked at it, the gears in his mind clicking into place – the bag was from his favourite brand, and Youngjae had been talking about getting a gold watch for months, after he had accidentally cracked his old one in an arm wrestle.

The omega threw himself at his best friend’s direction, Himchan stumbling back.

“Thank you, hyung!” he squeezed his arms, laughing giddily when Himchan wheezed.

Youngjae gave Himchan one final hug before stepping back, handling the four gifts like his most precious belongings. He would open them at the end of the day.

“Do you guys all have your swimming gear?” he asked, trying to start conversation. They all began walking towards the mansion’s garage, where the van was kept. Youngjae’s car was too small to fit six people, and they all wanted to drive to the beach together, so Jongup volunteered one of his brother’s cars.

“Yep!” Junhong’s hands were interlaced with Yongguk’s. “Sunscreen, towels, swimsuits, buckets…”

“He insisted on bringing toys,” Jongup teased, and Junhong huffed, clearly hearing this before.

“Watch me build the superior sandcastle, hyung,” he shot back.

“Sure you will. I don’t need a spade to beat you,” the alpha countered as he brought them all to the car they were going to use. Youngjae’s eyes widened at the size of it; it looked like it could fit twenty people.

“Anyway, if we missed out on anything, we can just hop over to one of the shops and buy whatever we need,” Jongup said, fishing in his pockets for the car keys. His flippant comment sparked something in Youngjae, who huffed.

“No you won’t,” Youngjae said. Jongup raised a brow, and four pairs of eyes watched the two.

“There won’t be any unnecessary spending today,” the smallest omega declared, coming up with the rule in a split second. “If you forget anything, you can’t just go and buy it. Try to act like normal people, for once.”

He glared at Daehyun after saying the last sentence. It was surprising how many times shopkeepers let the idol ‘pay’ for his things by simply signing something, or taking a selfie. Daehyun sulked quietly, knowing exactly what Youngjae meant.

“No problem with me,” Himchan shrugged, and Junhong nodded in agreement. Yongguk looked surprised, but not annoyed at all.

“What do you define as ‘unnecessary’ spending, if it’s on food?” Daehyun said suddenly, “because if I get super hungry, I won’t be able to stop eating, and I could see how that could be seen as ‘unnecessary’ but it’s not like I can help it.”

“Jung Daehyun, ask one more dumb question, I dare you.”

“But it’s a real question!”

As the couple bickered, Jongup handed the car keys to Yongguk nonchalantly, before sliding into the passenger’s seat. Both Himchan’s and Yongguk’s eyes widened at the exchange, but Junhong only perked up.

“Hey, can I drive instead?” he asked Jongup brightly, as Daehyun and Youngjae climbed into the car. “I know I haven’t gotten my license yet, but –”

“Junhong, you are the last person I’d let drive me anywhere,” Jongup said dryly, and the young omega sulked.

“I’d be really good! I don’t like drinking either, so it’d be safe!”

“Maybe another day,” Yongguk ruffled Junhong’s hair, gently nudging him towards the car door. Junhong followed Himchan inside, still trying to justify why he’d be better at driving than Jongup, at least.

“I mean, Jongup-hyung would see a dog and then get distracted. I already have a dog, so I wouldn’t.”

Yongguk hummed non-committedly as he started the car, and Jongup scoffed, “Junhong, it doesn’t matter, because you’re the only one here who doesn’t have a license.”

“Bite me,” the omega grumbled. “Yonggukkie-hyung, can I get my license tomorrow then?”

“You don’t have to ask me for permission, Junhong,” the alpha said, a frown surfacing on his face.

“No, I mean,” the omega shifted nervously. “Could you help teach me? I don’t know how to drive yet.”

Yongguk smiled, both at Junhong’s adorableness and willingness to actually ask. He didn’t want the omega to be like before, when their dynamics were off, when he was never really comfortable asking for anything.

“Of course.” His eyes were adoring as they looked at his boyfriend through the rearview mirror. Junhong’s cheeks were heated, but he had a pleased smile on his face.

They didn’t notice everyone else falling silent around them during their interaction, all warmed by the affection the two shared. Yongguk keyed in the destination into Jongup’s GPS, the robotic voice announcing that they had a one-and-a-half-hour drive to go.

“Are we ready to go?” Yongguk asked, turning around to check on Junhong. The omega beamed and nodded, but everyone else groaned.

“Seatbelt, Junhong,” five voices chided, and his eyes widened for a millisecond before he reached to clasp it tightly.

“Sorry, sorry,” he apologised, waving a hand. “We can go now!”

Youngjae leaned into Daehyun as they began their drive to the beach, trying to comfortably position his head on his shoulder. Jongup claimed control over the car’s stereo system, and Himchan produced some snacks from his bag that Junhong immediately tried to steal. It was quiet, but calming – exactly what Youngjae needed.

He felt his eyelids becoming heavy, lulled by the quiet chatter around him. Daehyun pressed a gentle kiss to his hair, and they both slowly drifted to sleep.

Youngjae was unpleasantly jolted awake when Jongup yelled a triumphant ‘I found it!’ barely seconds after they’d begun to relax.

Four heads snapped up, and Yongguk, still concentrated on driving, mumbled, “Found what?”

Jongup smirked before tapping his phone once, and a familiar introduction boomed through the stereo system; one that Youngjae had heard so many times before in the recording studio, and in shopping malls for weeks after its release.

“Oh my god,” he blushed furiously as Himchan and Junhong cheered, burying his face in Daehyun’s shoulder. “Jongup!”

“I can’t play a song that stayed at the top of the charts for five weeks straight?” Jongup asked innocently, and Daehyun had to hide his snicker. Youngjae leaned away from his boyfriend, feeling betrayed, but strong arms immediately pulled him back.

He couldn’t help a smile growing on his face. Daehyun was laughing so freely, warm breaths of air fanning the back of his neck. The other boys weren’t letting up with their obnoxious singing, and Daehyun began to sing quietly as well, before his voice gradually grew in volume.

“This is the opposite of what I signed up for,” Youngjae sighed, but when five voices began yelling the chorus so loudly that the people on the street could probably hear, he found himself joining in, without a care in the world.

Two hours later found the group stumbling out of the car, restless but energetic. The sun was shining down on the golden sand, and waves crashed in the distance. Yongguk hadn’t been to the beach since he was a child; even before his teen years, when he was pretty much only concerned with and alcohol. Even after that phase was over, he was too busy with the company to ever just take a day off and go to the beach.

He stood next to the car, eyes wide as he took in the sights. Sure, there were some people already there, but it felt peaceful. They all looked relaxed, playing in the water, or with sand, or just lying down.

“I feel like I haven’t stood up in years,” Jongup groaned as he left the car, stretching his arms and legs.

Junhong grumbled, kicking his foot in Jongup’s direction. “Try having long legs.”

“,” Jongup huffed, and Yongguk swatted the back of Junhong’s head. It was common knowledge that Junhong got antsy if he had to sit still for too long, and he was definitely feeling grumpier than usual. Despite everyone’s attempts and making the car ride fun, they all exhausted themselves pretty early on.

Youngjae had passed out in the backseat thirty minutes into the car ride, and still hadn’t woken up. Daehyun promised the others that he’d wake him up and join them later. Apparently waking Youngjae up could be a dangerous experience.

“Do you guys want to change first?” Yongguk asked Jongup and Himchan, and the other alpha shrugged, not really caring. “I think the lines are long, so you might have to share a change room.”

Jongup lit up at that, and turned to Himchan, a smirk playing at his lips. The beta released a hum and mirrored the expression on Jongup’s face. “We’re going to take a while,” Jongup announced, taking Himchan’s hand and practically running all the way to the changing rooms. Junhong scrunched his face up, not knowing how to react.

On one hand, he was happy for his friend. On the other, those were public changerooms. He made a face, and turned to Yongguk.

“Let’s set up,” he suggested, releasing a sigh of relief when his boyfriend nodded quickly.

To Junhong’s shock, the alpha abruptly grabbed most of the bags and sprinted down to the sand, nearer to the water he was staring at earlier. He ripped off his shirt on the way, leaving Junhong next to the car, spluttering in surprise at the alpha’s eagerness and spontaneity.

Yongguk turned around, dropped all of the bags in the sand, and waved for the younger to follow. Junhong thought he looked beautiful, standing in front of the ocean, his tanned skin glowing in the sunlight. In that moment, Junhong wanted nothing more than to take a picture of him, but Yongguk cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled impatiently, “Come here!”

Junhong hesitated, before kicking off his shoes and running towards him, almost tripping at the sight of Yongguk’s face lighting up with the private smile he only shared with the omega.

The sand crunched under his feet as he ran closer, and before he knew it, Yongguk’s arms were wrapped around him, squeezing tightly. He was beaming, and he tilted his head up to peck Junhong’s cheek.

“I never knew you were such a child,” Junhong said cheekily. Yongguk’s hold tightened around him.

“I should throw you into the ocean,” the alpha mused, and Junhong shook his head wildly as he began dragging him towards the water. Junhong was too tall to pick up, but the omega wasn’t actively trying to get away, only pretending to struggle. As they got nearer, Yongguk could feel the cold spray splash on their legs, and he pushed Junhong deeper into the water, finding joy in how he stumbled in and immediately burst out laughing.

“You’re only proving my point, hyung!” he surged forward and grabbed Yongguk’s hand, pulling him along. The two of them weren’t the only ones in the water, but it felt like it – together, they felt like they were alone. Like they were the only ones who mattered to each other.

The sun shone down on them as they played in the water, flicking water and drenching their clothes. Neither of them cared at all, enjoying themselves even when the waves knocked them into each other.

Once, after they were beginning to calm down, Yongguk kicked water in Junhong's direction, only to accidentally send a clump of sand smack into his boyfriend’s shirt.

His white shirt.

His eyes widened a fraction, wondering if he had upset the younger, but Junhong simply flicked the sand off, shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

“It’s like your mental age decreases by the day,” Junhong sighed dramatically. His eyes sparkled with mirth. “Should I even call you hyung anymore?”

“Brat,” Yongguk growled playfully and grabbed the cheeky omega around the waist, spinning him in circles. The laughter that bubbled from Junhong made Yongguk grin widely, hugging him tighter.

Everything was going to be alright.

The water was cold, almost freezing, but Yongguk had never felt warmer than at that very moment, with Junhong in his arms.

a short epilogue :)  i can't believe UTC is over!!

thank you to everyone who subscribed, upvoted and commented to this fic in the last almost-year! you really encouraged me to keep writing and i don't think this fic would have been half as fun to write if i didn't receive such awesome feedback <3 

if you're interested in reading more of my writing, i've uploaded the foreword for my new fic here. it has all the same ships as this fic, and is pretty similar in terms of the drama, but is also more serious. the first chapter should be up soon, like in a week?

other than that, thank you again for reading this far. i hope this fic was enjoyable! sorry if i was frustrating at times, with my lack of updates, and thank you again for your patience with me ^^